A message to anxious Vanderbilt students, from an upperclassman

You are young, full of energy, potential, driven, passionate, wild, and have an entire future in front of you. You are maturing as an individual, and you are also learning more about yourself than you ever knew. But yet somehow in the midst of these incredible years, you forget about embracing the moment you are in.

You forget about loving who you are and also who you are becoming because you are so concerned with what lies ahead.

What college looks like from the outset becomes completely different when you are amidst your sophomore or junior year and worrying about what you will do the rest of your life, what internship you are going to get, and if you are preparing yourself in the best way possible to get that incredible job.

You begin to doubt yourself. You regret not adding an extra major or minor, or working that extra internship first semester. You worry about that one semester of a lower GPA. You are afraid you aren’t good enough.

You become consumed with how everyone around you seems to be getting their dream internship for the summer or finding the perfect balance between making amazing grades and also having a fantastic social life.

You begin to ask yourself: what am I doing wrong? Why am I not good enough? What do I need to change to excel at a higher potential?

First things first – slow down. Listen to your parents when they tell you to take one thing at a time. Take it day by day, memory by memory and live in the moment.

The more I have experienced college, the more I have realized how true this is. I get so caught up in everything I am not, without realizing everything I am. I begin to beat myself up for not being good enough, when I need to be thankful for the person I am becoming.

I have been in college for almost three years now, and I have learned more about myself in these past three years than I have in my entire life. I have learned that I shouldn’t doubt myself. No matter what, you will always get that paper finished.

No matter what you will always study as hard as you possibly can, and receive the best grade you could get. No matter how competitive Vanderbilt is, you need to work to become the best version of yourself, not compete against the kid sitting next to you in class.

Embrace each moment. Congratulate yourself when a teacher compliments you on an insightful comment you make in class. Enjoy those darties and tailgates on a warm sunny day, making memories with friends and losing your voice singing every single early 1990’s throwbacks.

Fall in love with the person you are becoming. Accept your failures, and work hard to better yourself for the next chapter of your life. Don’t waste a second thinking you aren’t good enough because you are more than sufficient.

College is shaping your character and a person who will make a difference in others lives.

So, yeah, there are some crappy moments of college. There are moments of complete fear and sadness that you are not enough.

But be more than just a person trying to survive your college years – instead embrace the person you are becoming.